Maternity garment



Dec. 15,1925. 1,565,808

" L. E. LEVY MATERNITY GARMENT Filed Sept. 26, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LEO E. LEI/J WI TNESS ,.%28AMW ,4 TTORNEYS Dec. 15,1925, V 1,565.808

L. E. LEVY MATERNITY GARMENT Filed Sept. 26, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmfss T v INVENTOR f6 LEO E. LEV) 4 TTORIJEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO E. LEVY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T MODEL BRASSIERE COMPANY, INC., 013

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIQN OF NEW YORK.

MATERNITY GARMENT.

Application filed September 26, 1922. Serial No. 590,646.

To (all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Lno E. LEVY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident ofthe borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have in-. vented certain new and useful Improvements in Maternity Garments, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to maternity garments and has for its object to provide a maternity garment which in a novel manner combines the advantages of a brassiere and a corset and which provides comfortable and efiicient support for the parts of the body and readily accommodates itself to physical changes which take place in the wearer during and subsequent to the period of pregnancy. Other more specific objects of myinvention will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of the invention without defining its limits, Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of one form of the garment; Fig. 2 is a view showing said garment laid out flat, and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings the garment comprises, sections 5 of substantially inelastic fabric or other material and extending from the top to the bottom of the gar ment, said sections 5 beingprovided along their free edges with co-operating fastening devices 6 whereby the sections are detachably connected at the rear to fix the garment in place upon the wearer. The other edges of the sections 5 are connected with elastic inserts 7 which also extend from the top to the bottom of the garment and preferably contract in width toward the top thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. Fabric members 8 are attached to the elastic inserts 7 along a por tion of the inner edges thereof, and project toward each other, as shown in Fig. 2, said members 8 being provided along their contiguous edges with eyelets 9 for the accommodation of laces 10 whereby said members 8 are adjustably connected with each other; it will be understood that the eyelets 9 and laces 10 are intended to be representative of adjustable connecting means for said members 8 and that they may accordingly be replaced by equivalent devices. The members 8 are of lesser vertical width than the in: serts 7 and terminate at intermediate points of the inner edges thereof and are shaped and proportioned to constitute an abdominal section, the purpose and operation of which will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the illustrated example the members 8 are provided with elastic inserts 11 which extend throughout the vertical width therc of and preferably diverge toward their upper ends, so that said inserts are of greater width at the upper edges of the members 8 than at the lower edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. If desired, the opposed edges of the members 8 may be boned or otherwise stiffened in any well-known way; in (he preferred construction these members 8 are each further provided with one or more plaits 8 located at intermediate points and extending throughout the vertical width of said members 8 for the purpose to be more fully set forth hereinafter, said plaits in their normal condition being sewed down at least along one edge, as indicated in the drawings.

Those parts of the inner edges of the elastic inserts 7 which lie above the members 8 are connected by means of a fabric piece which carries out and completes the upper front portion of the garment and is continued downwardly in the form of what may be termed a pouch 13; the latter is provided at its lower edge, preferably at opposite sides only, with elastics 14 and with tie strings or tapes 15 adapted to be tied about the waist of the wearer, as will appear more fully hereinafter. The pouch 13 is of such dimensions as to it over and re ceive the abdomen of the wearer and, in; practice, depends over the outside of the members 8, as shown in Fig. 1. In the preferred arrangement a depending tape 16 and fastening device 17 is provided for holding the pouch 13 in position against shifting on the wearer. In addition, tapes 18 are secured to the garment at opposite sides of the inserts 7 so as to depend from the lower edge of said garment in the form of loops with which any conventional form of garters 19 may be slidably connected. Additional garters 20 may, if desired, be connected with the fabric members 8', as shown in Fig. 1. Suitable shoulder straps 21 may also be included for supporting the garment in position upon the wearer.

The garment, which is fastened in place by the devices 6, is so constructed and pro portioned that, when worn, the elastic inserts 7 will be located approximately along opposite sides of the wearer, as indicated in Fig. 1. At the same time, the members 8 will lie over the abdomen and be suitably adjusted thereover by means of the laces 10, the inserts 11 permitting said members 8 to yield when necessary, and because of their diverging form, providing a maximum range of adjustment and more freedom at the upper portions of the members where the same is required, thus adding to the comfort of the wearer. By means of the lacing 10 the members 8 may be adjusted to lit the abdomen with any desired degree of snugness and may be accordingly caused to support the abdomen of the wearer in the manner most comfortable to the individual. The inserts 11 not only permit the members 8 to yield, so that no harmful pressure is exerted thereby upon the abdomen, but in addition, because of their special shape, cause the members 8 to more efiiciently and closely follow the shape of the body during the period of pregnancy. At the same time, the elastic side inserts 7 cause the garment to yieldingly hug the form of the wearer and to give thereto the support of a customary corset. The pouch 13 of the fabric piece 12 is adjusted to fit the abdomen with any degree of snugness desired by the wearer by securing the tie strings 15 about the waist, and when in position, virtually provides a pouch in which the abdomen is hung and whereby it is supported in a most efficient and comfortable manner, the elastics 14 providing a yielding force which permits the pouch 13 to adapt itself automatically to any changes in the physical form or position of the abdomen and prevents a harmful pressure to be exerted thereon by said pouch without interfering with the supporting functions thereof. By fastening the (IEVICB' 17 in any convenient manner to the garment, the tape 16 will maintain the pouch 13 against creeping out of place. The garters 19 and 20 may be used in the conventional manner to support the hose and also to assist in holding the garment in place.

By providing the plaits 8, the size of the garment as awhole may be increased when necessary, this being accomplished by opening up said plaits and letting them out completely or in successive stages, as physical changes in the wearer take place. The range of service of the garment and the degree of comfort to the wearer are thus in creased to a maximum extent and remain an inherent part of said garment throughout its life.

The garment provides a most ciiicient coinbination of corset and brassiere, which serves not only to confine the body in the desired manner, but also provides amost efficient support therefor, and in addition is particularly adapted for wear by a woman in a condition of pregnancy.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the nature of my invention, as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A corset-brassiere comprising a body portion, an adjustable abdominal section at the front thereof, an abdominal pouch suspended on said body from above, over said abdominal section and having its side and lower edges free from said abdominal section, the lower edge of said pouch being substantially inelastic at its central portion and elastic upon opposite sides of said central portion, tie strings connected with the lower edge at the terminals of the elastic portions thereof for adjustably securing said lower edge in place and means for detachably securing said corset-brassiere upon the wearer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEO E. LEVY. 

